Controllable parachute canopy



" March 12, 1957 P. G. TUROLLA 7 2,784,927

CONTROLLABLE PARACHUTE CANOPY Filed Jan. 3. 1955 ,Zruen/Qfi ID/A/O 6. TUROLLA CONTROLLABLE PARACHUTE CANOPY Pino G. Turolla, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Turolla Parachute Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 47 9,600

1 Claim. (Cl. 244-152) The present invention relates to improvements in the construction of parachutes.

Parachutes of the type generally in use at the present time have a common disadvantage in that there is no means of controlling the speed of descent nor stopping the rotating or pendulum-like swinging movement of the weight being thus supported. In particular, when parachutes are being utilized to drop personnel, there is always the danger that, due to the changing currents of air, and the unstable characteristics mentioned above, they first of all may be carried well away from the selected dropping point and secondly they may be swung against structures or trees when they approach the ground.

Attempts have been made to overcome these problems by providing modified chute constructions including supplementary, chutes or openings and flap surfaces which can be controlled to increase the speed of descent.

For example, United States "Patent 2,127,895 to Tingle, August 23, 1938, shows a, parachute construction wherein a supplementary flap fitted, within the body of the chute is pulled inwards. by a central control line to uncover a plurality of openings so as to allow large volumes of the air trapped in the chute body to escape and thus accelerate the descent. In accordance with this patent, release of the control line is intended to allow the flap to resume itsnormal position and block the openings thus causing the chute to resume its normal shape giving maximum weight carrying surfaces.

United States Patent 2,342,287 to Lisi, February 22, 1944, shows a further attempt to overcome the problems mentioned wherein a second centrally located smaller chute is combined with the usual larger chute and the outer periphery of the smaller chute is provided with a central control line whereby the large chute can be collapsed from the centre to accelerate the descent as before. The idea in this patent isthat the second smaller chute will cause the larger chute to open to normal once the control member has been released.

However, in both of these prior art constructions, "there is one common disadvantage and that is, due to the particular construction and disposition 'of the means for decreasing the effective bearing surface of the chute the main surface of the chutes will be folded into an area Where the airfoil surface tends to create a vacuum. Ac cordingly, it is thought that the folding or collapsing characteristics of these chutes will be intensified to a point where it will be extremely difficultfor the main body of the chute to again unfold to give the necessary maximum supporting surface. 4 I

The present invention recognizes and overcomes these disadvantages by providing a parachute design which is adapted to:

(a) Eliminate the negative angles of present parachutes.

(b) In the case of military personnel, increase the efficiency of a surprise attack.

(c) Regulate the speed of descent, neutralizing the swing before landing.

nited States Patent "ice (d) Making it possible to jump from high altitudes, neutralizing contrary air drift.

(e) Enables paratroopers to spot land] inside a small objective.

This improved parachute construction is based on the principle of exploiting the external pressure of the supporting surface, rather than the internal surface. Further, it does not necessitate lengthy additional training for the paratrooper.

Essentially, a parachute constructed in accordance with the invention utilizes a main envelope or body of the usual hemispherical overall shape with the usual shroud lines attached which are connected to and support the weight to be carried with supplementary means embodied in the central top portion of the body whereby it can be collapsed inwardly under the control of a central cable or control line which extends downwardly from the central axis of the chute to an accessible position relative to the load being carried.

In accordance with a preferred form of the invention means in the form of a pilot chute are utilized to ensure the instant unfolding of the chute to maximum effective condition and means, in the form of openings and control flaps are provided in the body of the chute whereby the descent can be gradually accelerated and yet permit the bearing surface of the chute to be returned to maximum area immediately.

The disposition of the pilot chute and control openings and flaps is such that they are not moved into a dead or vacuum area as caused by the airfoil action of the chute body and therefore the reaction to the release of the control line is instantaneous and sure.

While in general the regular materials can be employed it is also contemplated that for the dropping of equipment, a combination of a special paper material, crossed by a mantle can substitute the silk and nylon presently in use, with a great saving in time of manufacture and cost.

When Parachuting easily damaged material into special zones, the present parachute construction can be provided with a clock-work mechanism which, at the appropriate time can initially release the parachute and then at a predetermined height from the ground can be caused to operate the control device mentioned above so as to first of all increase the speed of descent and avoid the drifting effect noted above and secondly, when the material is sufficiently close to the ground, again operating the control decreasing the speed of de scent and weakening the impact of contact with the ground.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown by way of illustration 9. preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure l is 'a diagrammatic view showing the present parachute construction as it would appear immediately after having been opened and before the controlling arrangement is brought into use.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a cross section of the main body of the parachute to illustrate diagrammatically the relative position of the pilot chute, and interior central section of the chute body as it would appearin the first position of control.

Figure 3 is a further diagrammatic View corresponding to Figure 2 showing the chute body in the second controlling position.

Figure 4 is a further diagrammatic view corresponding to Figures 2 and 3 showing the third and last posit-ion of the central controlling section of the chute body.

Figure 5 is a view of a portion of the main chute body showing one of the air inducting pressure flaps or pockets.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of one of the controlling pockets as it would appear when the chute body is in the controlling position shown in Figure 4. Withparticular reference to the drawings, the invention is illustrated in a preferred form as cdrnprising of a main chute body of s'ub'stt... tially hemispherical, outline when open, to which there are attached about the periphery the usual shroud lines i2, which in this case are connected to the usual harness 14 worn by the user. The chute body it is providedwith a central [opening 16, the marginal edge of which issecurcd to a resilient ring 18. Shroud lines extend from this 11 n connecting cable 22, the upper end of which is connected with a pilot chute 24. Further chute lines 2c are connected to the lower port-ion of the ring 18 and also ti) a main control ilne 3 3' which is of sufiicient length to extend to within easy access of the weight being s ported, in this case, the user of the chute. This control line 3%) is preferably provided with spaced apart indicators or markers 3%, 3%, 3 90, which correspond to the three control positions of the chute illustrated.

The preferred chute construction shown also includes a further control means in the form of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart air retaining flaps or pockets 40 which are attached to the body of the chute it) as shown in detail in. Figure 6. These pockets or flaps 4d mask cut-outs or air outlets 42, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

In use, once the material or personnel has been dropped at the desired altitude, the chute is open in the usual way as shown in Figure l, and then in order to eliminate the usual drifting and swinging the speed of descent is gradually increased by pulling on the control line so as to gradually draw in the centre portion 11 of the chute body it As will be appreciated, in the initial controlling position as shown in Figure 2, this drawing in lessens the effective bearing area of the chute and causes the air trapped within to be in part bathed so as to be directed back downwardly before it emerges from the central chute opening. The pulling of the control line 30-from' the position 39c as indicated on the line to the position Siib tows the central portion of the chute 11 into approximately the outline shown in Figure 3 so that the effective body area is again reduced to increase the speed of descent. In order to provide a means for allowing some of the trapped air to escape upwardly, the flaps or pockets 40 now come into operational use. The air striking th'e central portion of the chute body creates a pressure against the open edge of the flaps 46 causing them to become distended so that columns of air pass out through the openings 42'. This also has a stabilizing effect against the usual rotational and swinging movement of the chute body as well as ensuring that the accelerated descent is in a more or less straight line.

This effect is further increased by the pulling of the control line 30 down to the position Side which is substantially the maximum posit-ion in increasing the speed of descent. In this condition, the flaps 40 are fully ex tended since they are disposed almost vertically with respect to the column of air trapped by the chute body, see Figure 6.

Assuming that the person using the chute or the material supported by the chute has now reached an elevation where impact with the ground is imminent, the control line 30 is released completely. This allows the pressure of the air against the'interior of the chute, and also by the pull of the pilot chute 24, to bring the top 4 central portion of the chute quickly upwards into its most eifective startiiig position as shown in Figure 1. This effect gives an almost instantaneous check or stop to the fall of the body so that the impact of contact with the ground is reduced to the minimum.

It will be appreciated that the number and disposition of the air trapping flaps 40 can be varied and that the pilot chute 24 might possibly be dispensed with. However, as a safety factor, the use of a pilot chute is prefcrredsince this ensures the instant return of the central portion of the chute body to its maximum braking position.

The length of the cable22 extending to the pilot chute 24 is such that the pilot chute body is clear of the top of the main chute body even at the third and greatest descent accelerating position. This is to ensure the pulling action of the pilot chute which might tend to fold inwards or collapse ifplaced within the confines of the central opening or funnel formed by the chute body in the maximum collapsed condition.

A controllable parachute construction comprising a main canopy and being adapted upon opening to extend to an arcuate conformation having acentral opening at the apex, primary suspension cords extending from the outer periphery of said canopy to a connection with a suspension harness, an annular member connected to and bordering the central opening of said canopy, sec ondary shroud lines extending from said annular member to a connection with a control line extending from said canopy to within access of said suspension harness, a'plurality of circumferentiallyspaced apart openings in said canopy located between and in spaced apart rela tionship from said outer periphery and said annular member each masked and normally closed by a closure flap secured to said canopy on three sides surrounding said opening with the open side directed towards said canopy central opening, a pilot chute secured to a traction line connected by further shroud lines to the upper part of said central annular member, said traction line being ofsufii'cierit length to maintain said pilot chute above the surface of said main chute canopy when said main canopy is in the maximum reduced area condition, whereby the effective bearing surface of said parachute canopy when opened can be reduced in controlled degrees by tension on said central control line which through said annular member pulls the upper central portion of said canopy downwardly and inwardly until the open sides of said closure flaps are directed downwardly and'opened under air pressure to allow air trapped Within said canopy inner surface to escape and accelerate the rate of descent, and release of said control line allows said canopy central portion under the influence of trapped air and said pilot chute to return to its original position reversing and'closing said flaps completing the effective bearing surface of said canopy.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,353,131 Run Sept. 14, 1920 2,350,646 Smith June 6, 1944 2,358,417 Quilter Sept. 19, 1944 2,374,627 Strong .d Apr. 24, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS I 405,623 Italy Aug. 27, 1943 822,938 France Oct. 4, 1937 

